Fresh Excel Tips

To generate randomized values Excel provides the RAND function. This function returns a random number greater than or equal to 0 and less than 1. Each time the worksheet is calculated, a new random number is generated. This example generates randomized integer values from 1 to 999 in cells A2:D10 and then replaces the formulas with calculated values.

How to generate integer random values:

1. Select cells A2:D10 and type the following formula: =INT(RAND()*1000).
2. Press Ctrl+Enter.
3. Press Ctrl+C to copy the filled cells.
4. From the Edit menu, select Paste Special.
5. In the Paste Special dialog box, select Values under Paste to paste only the values.
6. Click OK.
7. Press F9 to recalculate the worksheet.

This tip is compatible with Excel 97, 2000, 2003 and 2007.

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